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N.B.: Different languages can express different contents  -  (Italiano  English)

 

The cycle of life

On a hill at seven hundred meters, before a plane. Watching this spectacle suggested an aerial vision of things, a holistic vision, which at the same time made me feel small before the vastness of that space, a grain in the universe, intimately part of it.

In that house there was a chimney, in front of it a couchess (feminine, yes because it was more than a couch, it was almost a magic place) and at night, especially in autumn the ritual of the crate took place.

It started by chance, as often happens with chimneys, someone seeing the fire languish, tossed one of those light wood fruit crates on it, but this time all silently stared fascinated by the spectacle. At first the crate had covered the flame. Then little by little the fire started appearing, growing, more and more, strengthening, impetuous, unstoppable, and when it became lord of this scene it maintained itself. For a while. Then here and there the flame decreased, it was still gorgeous, but the decline had started.

It continued, giving in more frequently and in some point the flame had finished its race and had extinguished. Then, gradually, all the flame turned off leaving place to the embers, scorching, still capable of lighting another crate. Less striking, less disperse, but with a more concentrated heat, more intense, deeper. So it followed on reducing itself until exhaustion.

The first time all were silent, pensive, emotional, with a strange knot in their throats, and a need for life within. There were those whom had stepped away from the rest, staring into the plane, collecting their thoughts. Those who reacted by warding off the strong emotions by exhortations to do something all together, trying to involve the others in programming a fun evening, lively and joyful. There were those that shook off those strange sensations by remaining some more instants in meditation. Each one had reacted there own way, but one way or another, all were aware of having witnessed something very special: the cycle of life.

The reason why that time all were stunned, and in a common gesture, such as throwing a crate in the fire, they had extrapolated a thought so deep and absolute, is not clear; but it did happen.

Successively this experience was repeated, this time with the awareness of what was being done and all was lived with growing serenity, and strength. It was as if gradually this universal law of the cycle of life was being assimilated, with growing confidence and less fear.

That which we lived before our chimney can be found in live, human relations, activities, enthusiasm for things, for ideas, and for people. And since life is, possibly, the most important valuable, this experience was clearing many parts of our lives. We were starting to see things also from a different points of view and understanding more.

We started to understand that life has its cycle, and that each phase has its positive and negative characteristics.

Each phase is an evolution of those preceding it, and we can do little or nothing to modify them. To be in harmony with the current phase one needs quickness of mind, and means living better for we see more positive aspects.

In this constant evolution life continues, life comes from life, from the end of life still comes life, and when life seems over what remains is the indispensable base for another life. In all this how we live is far more important than what we live, thus we are still the ones deciding on the quality of our lives. This means that along with constructing and changing our life, this is fundamental, we can and must learn how to live it.

Marco Dal Negro